It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged...

..that come the end of the year, the subject of "New Year's Resolutions" pops up on most people's minds.

Having received my new Moleskine in the mail (as part of a birthday gift from The Aussie, the package containing THE J.Crew dress and other sundries came, and the dress FITS! Might wear it for New Year party on the 29th at El Coyote) I began to input little memos and reminders, important dates and such for the beginning of 2008. Things like, "Pay rent," "Pay Health Insurance," "Deposit of stipend", and more fun things like "AUSTRALIA! 1/27-2/7."

I also began to put post-its in my Moleskine. I am trying to downgrade from my humoungous planner (that and the refills are too expensive in Japan) so I needed some sort of system for writing random notes. Moleskine's have the "notes pages" in the back, but I want to keep things neat, and re-usable. Hence the post-its.

On one post-it (yellow and pink striped, very cute) I put down my New Year's Resolutions for 2008. In retrospect, I am trying to think of them more as goals as opposed to a resolution because resolutions, in my opinion indicate that there is something wrong and needs to be fixed. I want to accomplish things.

1. Clear American Express card (damn the grad school application fees).
2. Stick to a monthly budget of ONLY $50 for knitting a month (hmm, if I don't spend that, let's let it roll over, no?).
3. NO KNITTING ADD! (Meaning, finish a batch of projects before you start the next group)
4. Eat healthier (which translates to: become a better cook).
5. Learn how to drive (My permit expired. Pathetic, I know).
6. Lose 15 pounds before I get my wedding dress/start grad school (about the same time- September - I've lost 4 already).
7. Get a job for Spring/Summer '08.
8. BUDGET. Stick to it.
9. Try not to panic/experience anxiety.
10. Get into grad school (of course this one is out of my hands, but I tried).
11. Plan wedding with as little stress as possible.
12. Do not buy stupid and useless things (this is ESPECIALLY the case in Japan where amazing, but useless things are right and left).
13. Pass Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2.
14. Enjoy life.

This post-it is on the front cover of my Moleskine, so that I am always reminded of my goals for the year. Looking at it, they are all inter-related: sticking to number 3 means that number 2 will be accomplished (finish all projects, then get yarn for next means I will try not to have impulse buys on yarn, and if I roll over, then I can save for pretty yarn for a luxe project), as well as 8. Numbers 9, 11, 12 and 14 are really important to me, given the past few months with my semi-quasi "quarter-life crisis" and applying to zoo that was applying to grad school.

Number 14 is a constant work-in-progress, as I did enjoy my life in Japan. When we were discussing my return, my mom said "Of course it will be hard [to come back], Japan is your home, too."

Jumping the Gun

I almost always jump the gun. It's a very annoying trait that I have and I know I have annoyed myself again. However, I am trying to look on the bright side of things.

I have not replied formally to my friend's invitation to Tokyo yet, and in a way it was a good thing I didn't. I was very excited about it, posting it here and such, but I jumped the gun. However, I was getting a bit of a "feeling," if you get what I mean.

I took a look at my bank account today and let's just say with grad school applications (sending stuff international is expensive, now multiply that by 8), Australia, a stipend coming late and the most likely trip to the Philippines in February, coupled with the dismal state of my finances (though I did get confirmation that I made the deadline for immediate reimbursement when I get to Australia so I don't have to worry about that, but I get it when I arrive in Australia) I really can't afford to go to Tokyo, what with Shinkansen ticket and spending money even with a free place to stay if for a few days. Things pile up.

I know it would be a treat to myself, but that money is better earmarked for the Philippines because the family is waiting for The Aussie and I. They actually don't know that we are coming, but I know it's important to The Aussie that we try to go as much as we can. Plus I need to save money for when I get home.

That doesn't mean that things are looking bleak. I met up today with my friend Emi and that Shin-puh-kan (a shopping center remodeled from a 1920s building; I will go back and take pictures) and she mentioned how she was going to perform there on the 23rd and I actually wanted to go - she is an amazing singer. So now, I will go and I think I am going to cook Christmas dinner for some friends. I like to host parties (or at least the idea of it, I haven't really done it yet, but I have had friends over and I like to entertain). I didn't get to do it at Thanksgiving, but I will try to do it now.

Kyoto actually looks very nice all decked out for the holidays. So I may not be going to Tokyo but in the end, everything will work out. Tokyo is really messy, so maybe I will be able to enjoy the holiday more here. Thus, the Starbucks Tall Non-Fat Peppermint Mocha is half-full.

Can Ya Pay Mah Telephone Bills, Can Ya Pay Mah Automo-bills

Oh sweet relief.

September was quite unbearably hot, which meant I used my air conditioner. I thought it would be quite a lot since there were some occasions in which I would leave it on all night. However, I did my green part - which, I do admit, was partially motivated by the fact that I do NOT want to pay an extortionate amount of money for my electric bill. I thought it would be around ichi-man, (10,000yen, or about $80-$100).


The electric meter dude just came by.

I opened my little envelope with much trepidation.

3,614yen.

That is how much I pay on average during the wintertime - thank god. I may have mentioned this before, but they are cutting my stipend by ichi-man next month: boo. Eh, now that Japanese language classes are starting next week, I won't be in my apartment so much, regardless.

In Japan, you can pay your utility bills at the combini (and you can do everything at the combini, I love my local combini and I think one of the people that works there even recognizes me at this point) - you take the big white piece of paper with the amount to the register and they stamp it, scan the barcode and there ya go. No need to go mail a bill and go through all that hassle of trying to remember to buy stamps, as you can also pay the bills at the Post Office ATM machine. That I have not figure out how to do, which in a way, is all the better, since the Post Office is now privatized.

I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys'R'Us Kid...

...there's a million toys at Toys'R'Us that I can play with!

Well now that I am 22, the toys are a bit different. iPods. Cell phones. Laptops. Kate Spade bags. Nintendo DS Lite. Shoes. My Kate Spade business card case and my new business cards.

You really can't say that business cards are a toy, but I ogled them like a toy at Toys'R'Us. Add to the fact that they are in my nice chocolate brown Kate Spade leather business card case (albeit year old, but never used; got it on sale as a college graduation gift to me), it's quite nifty. I feel all "PROFESSIONAL" now! Big girl moment. I have cause to not only make business cards but hand them out - at the conference in Tokyo next week.

I actually made the cards myself, using a template, stealing some graphics off the Ritsumeikan and Crane's websites (the paper company). Why Crane's? I got a Kate Spade graphic (the one for the Airmail calling cards) off the site and edited it to fit the cards. I love the Kate Spade look but alas, I cannot afford it. So, I pick and choose and get crafty where I can. So I have two designs - one with the Rits logo, and one with the Kate Spade airmail border. Unfortunately, when I printed the Airmail, due to the fact that it's a border, it sort of turned out bad with the edges running into the next card. So I guess I will do it again (with the font that I wanted) with the special cards that allow to print to the border that Avery has. They also have doubled-sided, which is necessary for English-Japanese cards. So for now, they are regaled to the "future projects" section - and maybe one day can get them for real.

I printed them at Prof. S's office at KCJS; I told him that I needed to find a place to make business cards during a dinner at his house last month (where I met other cool, famous professors) and he offered to let me use the printer at his office, provided I get the paper for it. After making a panicked call to Mel, ordering him to get a particular Avery business card set, I actually found business card paper (and "clean edge" to boot) at the Kyoto Uni Co-op. Thank god. In the end, Mel returned the paper to Staples and got his $16 bucks back.

For 100 clean-edge cards here, I paid about 5 dollars. Pity though - I can't do double sided in both English and Japanese due to the fact that the cards peel off instead of tear off from one another. But frankly, having more professional looking cards without that perforated edge is more important. Instead, I made some in Japanese, most in English. Behold! My first business cards:

She`s A Lady...Oh,Oh,Oh, She`s a Lady...

Lipstick can really do wonders. It is quite a different experience, wearing lipstick, as opposed to chapstick/lip gloss.

Warning - for the male readers out there, mega-girly post to follow, yet it is related to Japn.

I have never really been one to go get make-up from the department stores. First, it is a wee pricey. Second, I do not like to be fawned over, even though the make-up ladies sure as hell know more than me. What I know about make-up can fit onto the head of a pin. I only do basics.

This Friday is `Drag Night` at Metro, the club that is in my neighborhood. I am going with my friend`s for a belated birthday celebration, and apparently, `Drag Night` is not only monumental, buta very big highlight for the club. I went there once before for `80s` night, although it was not until my friends an I clamored for Duran Duran/Madonna/Michael Jackson that the 80s music started. I went for a `prep-school mall rat` look then.

Drag Night, however, calls for more extreme measures. However, I am not going in drag - I think its easier for a guy to go as a girl than vice versa, since girls wear pants on a normal basis. I am eagerly awaiting Ingram`S transformation into J-girl drag; I suggested that instead of a skirt )which would be rather uncomfortable for him to wear the short-shorts and thigh high socks like the Japanese girls do here, sometimes to extreme. Colleen is going the same route; I do not have short shorts to speak for myself, and I don`t fit into the clothes here. However, I repaired my skinny jeans! My `costume` - if one would call it that - consists of said jeans, and hot pink ballet flats. I got a t-shirt from Loft that is like those that come from Urban Outfitters; a wee short and snug but it is a cute shirt. Got some accessories from Claire`s (which I think has more of a loyal follwoing amongst girls in their 20`s as opposed to the States, I remember outgrowing Claire`s when I was finishing high school), and then the make-up.

Like I said, Drag Night is all about being extreme. My t-shirt is a dull sort of hot-pink but quite vibrant and I am pairing it with an electric blue beaded necklace. The make-up that I do have is quite basic and muted since I obviously do not go all out on a daily basis. So, after Loft with Colleen (who got the appropriate J-girl knee high socks - seriously, the subject of socks in Japan totally warrants a separate post) I began to check out the little shops that sold cosmetics. And got sitcker shock. A basic tube of lipstick from Maybelline was 1500yen! I can get said tube for $7 max back home. Plus, they did not have the shade of red that I wanted - 40s style red. I have been wanting red lipstick for awhile, since it is something snazzy, quick and easy to put on and I guess just a little different. I have been trying to change my look and upgrade it a bit; that and I think being in Japan also played a role. Some women really go totally all out to the extreme on a daily basis, but I prefer a tiny punch.

I already knew that I wanted a new eyeliner from M.A.C. - it goes on really well and they have funky colors. I wanted a purple, (going to wear it with green eyeliner that I already have) because I can wear it again regularly. I am the type of person that tries to get as much function out of something, which is why at the end of the day despite my misgivings about department store make-up, I like it better because I can try it on and it`s better quality.

Eyeliner was quickly solved - I tried on two shades of a lavender, and chose `Heirloom` which went nice with my eyes (they are a greenish-blue) and while I can pile it on for Drag Night, it is also nice when its just barely there.

I checked out the red tube of lipstick at M.A.C. but passed it on. For kicks, I went to the Chanel counter, since I tried a bunch of reds once at Duty-Free (must, must take advantage of that this summer). Chanel at duty-free isn`t that bad, but at Takashimaya it was quite expensive. Off to Clinique - they have good stuff.

At first, I really couldn`t find the shade of red that I was looking for, then a Clinique lady popped up. I am always too polite, and asked her (in Japanese) if Clinique had a shade of red lipstick like this bottle of nailpolish that was right in front of me (and the perfect sahde of 40s red). She gestured Colleen and I to sit down at the counter, and went off to look. She came back with two lipsticks, and a smock to cover me with that prompted Colleen to say, `You look like you are about to eat a lobster.` The lady streaked the two shades of lipstick across her hand to show me what they looked like and I chose one that was darker. I couldn`t exactly find the words to say `Can I test it out please?` but I got far enough so that the lady could get it.

So now, I am wearing 40`s style red lipstick (Long Last in Rubellite, if anyone was interested). I am test-driving it right now for everyday use - everyday being class, though I wouldn`t wear it every day of the week. It was not as a deep a red as I thought - it is more sheer and light as opposed to the thick matte stuff. Of course for Drag Night I am going to pile it on. I think If I went for a red-red-red it would be too much. Plus, I got to try it before I bought it so its a good investment. A nice pop if you will.

However, lipstick - especially RED lipstick - does make one more aware, and more `ladylike` I think. Best explanation/comparison is that when you get a manicure, your movements with your hands are more `ladylike` I think so that the polish doesn`t chip. Same with lipstick - I am making sure that it doesn`t smear, which means taking more care in my actions and movements. Cool thing about the Clinique lipstick is that it doesn`t appear on the rims of cups and water bottles, and when I kissed my hand while wearing it to test that factor, it barely showed.

Lip gloss can get quite goopy, unless you get the kind that is a little more rigid. But now, I highly recommend Clinique, and now have a thing for lipstick. Especially red lipstick (going back to duty-free to check out the mega retro 40s ones from Chanel).

Drag Night is so totally going to be kicking.

Go Ahead. Make His Day.

So, the guy from the company that runs my building dropped in promptly at 7pm this evening, as per our arrangment over the phone earlier today. He comes in, takes his shoes off and heads to my itinerant bathroom with the pissy pipes, bucket and plunger in hand.

Pissy pipes - not really. More like stuffed up strainer.

He lifts up the metal lid on the floor and I actually gasp out of embarrasment. It wasn't a case of "the shower is clogged, get the Drano and sulfuric acid" (one time, I poured candle wax down the sink, now THAT was embarrassing). The plumbing here is a wee bit different - the pipe from the shower and the sink empty into this hole that the strainer was covering together. There is no separate pipe for the shower, like back home. I was thinking that it was going to be a major operation, as memories of my dad with the infamous "snake" came into mind.

No, this was a simple case of the strainer wasn't cleaned. I was so embarrased, and started to ramble off in Japanese: "I am so sorry, this is so embarrasing, this is my first time living alone, Japanese plumbing is quite different..." I felt so bad that I had to make the guy come, I took the strainer and began to clean it myself - and since he also touched it, pumped some of the liquid hand soap that I had luckily bought earlier in the day and directed him to the kitchen sink so that he can wash his hands.

I then proceeded to wash the strainer in the kitchen sink; he kneeled on the floor and we chatted about this and that, since I wanted to make sure that it was just the strainer and not some bigger problem.

In retrospect, it was a total "gaijin" moment and quite funny. I'll bet it will be the watercooler topic for tomorrow at the company.

One other thing that I noticed: when I was rambling quite coherently all in Japanese, I noticed that I did just that - ramble in the way that I just let myself go and didn't stop to think about trying to translate a sentence or a word. I probably made some mistakes but I didn't stop, which I think, is a good thing.

This little fiasco probably made the guy's day - go to building, soothe nervous female gaijin and get to sit down and chat while she cleans the strainer.

Being An Adult Sucks

You have to pay bills.

Yiu have to pay health insurance.

Don't forget the rent!

Oh yeah, and if you rent an apartment and something goes awry, you have to wait till the landlord recieved your email so that he can fix the clog in your shower that lead to a flood in the bathroom because all the piping is connected. Daddy isn't here anymore with the snake.

Luckily, my landlord is the sort to reply to his emails promptly.

Furnished!

When Colleen and I went to Nitori, we used our bikes. It was about 55 degrees outside, but still, we went with our bikes.

Always.Use.Bike.In.Kyoto.

it's the way of life. However, not when you are going very very long distances - i.e. from Kyodai to Kyoto Eki. Phew! I did that and I got all icky and sweaty because it was cold so I was wearing layers, and then I slowly took off the layers as I got hot.

But when we went to Nitori, all was well. All was even better when we finally got there; it's on the western side of the city, and I live on the eastern side. It's even further past the koto shop that I went to when I got my koto picks. When Colleen and I got there we were amazed - it's like a shopping mall! And Nitori is right there!

So we walked in and OoOoO...it IS like Ikea! Cheap furniture, good quality for students. I began to tick the things off my list:

1) Comforter (I have the one Mayuko gave me, but I really needed another one, so cold!) - check
2) Two pillows - check
3) Pillowcase (already had one) - check
4) Mattress - check
5) Desk - check
6) Chair check

Not check - storage rack thing. I am not going to use the television that came with my apartment, as I need a cable wire to get the signal. I normally do not watch alot of tv anyways (yes I know the listening practice is good for me but I can get that listening to Japanese podcasts) so that means I only need one horizontal surface, for when I get my "oben renji" (oven range - a microwave that also acts like a grill, oven and toaster!). So, I will stack up all 4 of my plastic drawers, get a wooden cutting board to put underneath the oben renji and there we go.

Colleen pointed this out to me as I was looking at the desk options that I had - one was a regular table with one drawer and the other was a slightly smaller table but it came with a chest - both were same price. Colleen goes to say, "You can put your dried goods in the chest and then you dont have to get the storage rack." I kept on thinking, "What am I going to use a chest of drawers for? I already have my school stuff put away."

So Colleen saved me 2,990 yen. And I think that shipping is free - nothing of the sort showed up on my reciept, and in true Ikea-ish fashion, I assembled the furniture on my own. Good thing I noticed the other week that the Shop 99 (100 yen supermarket) on Kawabata and Marutamachi has screwdrivers, pliers and hammers.

Collen and I brought back my comforter and pillows on our bikes. Have bike, will carry. we stopped at Shijo for some dinner at Nakau - the fast food-ish place Deena and I went to my first week, where you put your money in a machine, push a button for what you want to eat and then you bring the ticket to the counter. Next to sushi-on-a-conveyor-belt, students have two good places to grab some dinner on the cheap. Afterwards, we went to Ogawa Coffee, this really really AMAZING coffee shop on Sanjo. The barista there drew a dog into the foam of my cappucino and it didn't taste like burnt Starbucks. Nuff said. I will go there from now on - it may be a bit more, but the service and quality is so worth it.

So my furniture came on Monday, a half hour before the scheduled delivery time. Good thing I was home already! Colleen and Ingram came over to help assemble the furniture, and celebrated the fruits of our labors with Dominoes Pizza. I never knew I missed pizza that badly, I practically attacked it and devoured my portion. So we pigged out and used my new furniture and jsut had fun. So now, I have furniture. My legs and back are crying with relief. I have gotten used to the futon (which is now cut up so it can fill the gap between the bed frame and my mattress) but sitting on the floor for extended periods of time is something that is more difficult for me. I have bad knees.

Nonetheless - dum da de dum! My apartment (or at least the bed/table area):

Did I Mention...

...that my apartment comes with a FREE tv? The person before me left it behind and my landlord said I can use it.

So now I can watch Japanese telly!

My Own Place

I did the one thing that almost every college grad does after graduation:

I got my own apartment. One that is tiny, a studio and I pay utilities separate from the rent. I can afford it with my stipend - I won't be able to save as much as I wanted, but it's my own place. I need space and privacy. I signed the contract today, got the paperwork to get the guarantor, and e-mailed my nice Aussie landlady to let her know that I found a place.

So excited! And it's in the same neighborhood as the one I currently live in right now; has INTERNET, a BALCONY and is pretty decently priced. Semi-furnished as well - there is this unit thing that is a combination of a bed frame and cabinets on the wall. You pull the bed frame away from the wall and in theory push it back up to save space, but I will keep the bed out - with enough cushions it would make a cute little couch.

I like the neighborhood I am in - it's quiet, filled with families and grannies. And there is a post office and Family Mart right nearby so there are the conveniences needed. And a bunch of little restaurants and a coffee shop - Colleen is moving into the neighborhood as well (at a dorm) so we plan to cover all the restaurants and coffee shops in the neighborhood.

I don't have a closet but who cares! I have MY OWN apartment. It's in a great and quiet neighborhood. And contrary to conservative Kyoto belief, I did not have to pay an arm and a leg in gift money (think I deposit that you never get back, it's a horrible system) and my landlord will help me set up the gas and electric and the internet is ALREADY installed and ready to go. It's basically wireless (two routers per floor) but there is a cable running along the ceiling of the hallway into my apartment so I don't need the wireless password, just hook up the cable and ready to go.

Ready to go because I have a Mac - it's just alot easier to set up internet. And I came by the apartment earlier in the week and tested the internet and it was all set. I took some pics to show to parents, sister some other people and Mel for opinions, but I will post and e-mail once I am done furnishing and decorating.

I can go to the 100-yen shop and get Christmas decorations!

Laundry Woes

In London, it was that one particular dryer that still left you clothes damp.

And the fact that there was only ONE laundry room for about 400 students.

In Greece, my grandfather's house was old so it only had a washer. Then again, it was over 90 degrees almost every day so drying was not really an issue.

In Japan - most of the houses usually don't have a dryer. According to a forum member, there is a washer that also does double-duty as a dryer.

Beats me. Japanese always has funky appliances, with more buttons than you can shake a stick at. Don't get me started on the "washlet."

I did my laundry on Saturday. Today was MONDAY. Over 48 hours of drying off hangers and the pole in my little veranda, and they were STILL BLOODY DAMP.

The following things didn't help much:

1) Cold weekend.
2) Me not opening the shoji screens to the veranda, which would have in effect allowed the heat from the electric heater spread throughout the entire room.
3) There is usually a big temp difference between the windows/wall to the outisde and the shoji screens to my room. So my cloths were in a cold hovel all weekend.

When I woke up this morning and felt my clothes, I was utterly pissed. I had two weeks worth of laundry hanging and was resorting to wearing skirts because all my jeans were worn. So, I called my koto teacher, cancelled my lesson and set about the task to taking my clothes down the hill in a laundry basket that was about to rip at the seams (cheap one from the 100-yen shop) to the coin laundry near my house.

Bah humbug. This morning was SO not off to a good start.

But then, I had a eureka moment.

The temperature in the veranda is different from the room--> so if i crank the heat up on the electric heater and stick it in the veranda--> the veranda will warm up and contain that heat to dry the clothes!

Granted, the veranda was so cold that I couldn't tell if the clothes were still damp or just really cold. Its 100 yen for just EIGHT minutes of drying at the coin laundry. I did the whole laundry once there because I needed to wash my sheets and towels and I decided to to the rest along with it - it ended up almost costing me 2000 yen.

And don't worry, I wasn't going to start a fire. My clothes were secure on hangers and on the pole, 2 feet about the heater.

Now I am in the process of ironing my clothes. I am slowly becoming to like ironing - it's quite contemplative.

Keitai Konfusion

I got a bank account today. Pretty simple. I like how the cash card (ATM card) comes in 32 different colors and I get to choose one. I chose Dreamy Purple. Very pretty. Should come in 10 days so I will be able to pay my next month`s rent in time. I can bank online too in English. Woot!

But there is no woot! for the keitai denwa. My cell phone.

Japanese cell phones kick the asses of American cell phones anyday. Even my fancy pink Motorola Razr`s bum gets beaten by the OLD-SCHOOL vodafone model that I have.

2 megapixel camera and the capability to play music. I have a 32mb memory card already built in.

But it`s the contract and the usage of the phone that get`s me - seriously, I do not know how to use this damn thing. It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to change my ring tone. Doesn`t help that the manual is not in english. And I didn`t sign up for this email thing so I don`t have a phone email? Not very helpful, because in order to text (or send a `Long Mail` or a `Sky Mail`) to someone outside the Softbank Network, you can`t use a number, you have to use the email?

Pah! This is so complicated. Right now, I sorta have buyers remorse - I sorta wished I had just plunked down the money for the cheapest and simplest cell phone and done pre-paid. Oh well. I signed a contract for 26 months and they don`t have one year so I have to pay a cancellation fee, which is the equivalent of how much my phone would have cost anyways. I think once I get the ball rolling on this keitai thing, I won`t regret getting a contract. Either way, I would have to pay for a cell so I might as well get the contract along with it to get all the goodies without having to go crazy paying so much. Then again, pre-paid would limit me but oh well. Thing is, pre-paid in London was simple because it was just texting, here it is a TOTALLY different story. They have cell phones that turn into miniature tv`s.

You win some, you lose some. Whatever. Not like I am really paying for it.

So as I was waiting for my cell phone to get activated, I wandered into this store called Inobun. Heaven - it is like a combination of Anthropologie and Kate`s Paperie.

I attached my cell phone charms - the one that Maki gave me and the one with a little bell and a dog from Fushimi Inari Taisha - to my cell phone on the bus back to school. I now jingle.